European Sea Bass (a.k.a. "Branzino", "Loup de Mer" or "Bar") was considered in Ancient Greece to be the smartest of all fish, as it was the most difficult to catch. Today, in modern Greece, it is so rare to catch one that there is an expression “I caught a Sea Bass” (epyasa Lavraki) that roughly translates as “I hit the jackpot”.

Its scientific name is Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) and it belongs to the Moronidae family. It can grow to a length of 100-105 centimeters and a weight of 12 kilos! Sea Bass can live up to 14-15 years.

European Sea Bass or "Branzino" has a silver color, its back is dark and it has a long and hydrodynamic shape. It is a wide-ranging species - in other words, a fish met both in salty waters (open sea) as well as in brackish (even fresh) waters. It usually moves in the shallow zone in depths up to 10 meters and very close to the shoreline (even though it can be found at times in much deeper waters) and prefers shorelines with sandy seaweed beds or pebbles near river estuaries or torrents. Often, it enters rivers and will travel quite a distance. Sea Bass or "Branzino" can also be found in lagoons and vivaria. At younger ages, it forms schools that move together, but when it grows older it becomes less gregarious and can be found alone or in small groups of 2 to 3 and up to 5 to 6 fish.

Its habitat is spread all over the Eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Senegal, and the entire Mediterranean and Black seas. Sea Bass or "Branzino" is a carnivorous and predatory fish that feeds mainly on mollusks, shrimp, and smaller fish, which it preys on.

European Sea Bass is consumed fresh, grilled and boiled. Its flesh is very tasty and many find it to be even tastier than Sea Bream. As a result of its excellent taste and consistent availability throughout the year, Sea Bass or "Branzino" / "Loup de Mer" has clearly become the most popular Mediterranean fish in North America and Great Britain.